Utility belts and leashes may be used to connect a user to something else, which could be stationary (e.g., a wall or floor, such as for safety during a construction project or extreme sports), or non-stationary (e.g., another person during extreme sports or athletic training, or a pet or child for safety and control). However, existing utility belts and leashes are bulky and severely limit the user's range of motion. Many such belts or leashes are one-dimensional and lack functionality and efficiency, which results in frustration and inconvenience, wasted time, decreased safety and control. Examples of leash systems include fabric leashes attached to belts using clip systems. Although “hands-free”, these designs do not offer 360-degree rotation of the leash around the user's waist. As such, the user's range of motion continues to be limited. Moreover, when used to walk a dog while the user walks or runs, these designs may be dangerous if the dog suddenly stops or moves from one side of the user to the other. If more than one dog leash is attached to the belt, the leashes can become tangled. Because the leash does not rotate around the belt, any such movement may pull the user off-balance and cause the user to trip, fall, or be moved into the path of traffic or other dangerous situation.
Previous attempts to improve such systems include the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2015/0013619, entitled “Pet Leash Belt Device”, by Robert J. Kahana, Jr., which discloses a fabric belt worn by pet owners and features a sliding ring mechanism on which the wearer secures a standard pet leash. Although this design improves functionality by allowing increased range of motion, it lacks customization, durability and strength, and versatility for use in applications other than as a pet leash.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.
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